We all have different ways of expressing ourselves when we compose a piece of writing, whether a flowery short story, a persuasive op-ed piece, or a pithy email. Astrology, with its insights into our personalities, holds some clues about the various ways we write, as each zodiac sign has its own unique communication traits and creative characteristics. Can you guess which sign is a natural-born poet? A perennial procrastinator? An avid reviser?
Read on to discover more about your writing style based on your astrological sign*:
Aries
Fiery, strong-willed Aries has an opinion and isn’t shy about letting the world know it. While their prose tends to be straightforward and not overly embellished, they lean into persuasive writing techniques to convince their readers of their points of view. Competitive by nature, the ram is quick to start new writing projects and driven to construct a winning argument with direct statements and bold word choice.
Taurus
The pressure to create a beautiful work of art is intense for Taurus, who can go through several drafts of each sentence before finding the just-right words to get their points across accurately. The bull is prepared for it to take a long time to get into their flow, which is why their writing desk tends to be set up with snacks, drinks, and a comfy chair.
Gemini
Gemini has innate curiosity, which leads them to investigate new subject areas and pick up knowledge quickly. What’s more, they have a knack for analysis. These traits make Gemini an ace at writing research papers. But as the twin sign, Gemini has another side to them: Aside from fact-finding and analytical prowess, they’re also quite funny. Humor finds its way into their writing in the form of satire, puns, or witty observations.
Cancer
Cancer’s moodiness may dictate the amount of time and energy they give to the writing process. Therefore, they should put aside a lot of extra time to complete tasks. The crab can tend to get lost in their emotions as their words pour out; freewriting and journaling come easily to them. Chances are, the finished product reads like a manifesto of their feelings.
Leo
Leo is prone to procrastination and often waits until the last minute to write—they thrill to the pressure of an impending deadline. Once they start, which can be a few hours before the assignment is due, the lion gravitates toward over-the-top statements and an abundance of exclamation points in their missives.
Virgo
Due to their analytical nature, Virgo strives for perfection in everything they write. They’ll likely spend hours drafting, revising, self-editing, and proofreading—no step is left out. While Virgo can sometimes get caught up in fixing their own grammar, they won’t rush their process and turn something in hastily; even when pressed for time, they’d be more liable to pull an all-nighter getting their term paper or work presentation just right rather than ever risk winging it.
Libra
Fair-minded Libra sees all sides of an argument, making them excellent analytical writers. And with that innate sense of fairness comes a propensity for equity—they’re not one to posit an argument without presenting a counterargument; each point gets the same weight, even the same word count (after all, Libra strives for balance in all they do).
Scorpio
An inquisitive, probing nature draws Scorpio to investigative reporting, uncovering secrets, or, better yet, exposing scandals. Scorpio won’t leave any stone unturned in their quest to share the truth. And they also have a singular focus that enables them to dive deep into a writing project, not emerging until the task is complete.
Sagittarius
Sagittarius has a reputation for exaggerating. Whether writing an essay for school or a report for work, the archer takes aim at minor details and enlivens them to increase their significance, adding flair to the mundane. “More is more” is Sag’s mantra; extra attention toward editing and fact-checking can help counterbalance their grandiose tendencies.
Capricorn
Capricorn’s disciplined work ethic conditions them to hunker down and produce a steady stream of writing. Pragmatic and goal-oriented, they do well writing to an assignment (whether a writing prompt or an article topic). While they don’t go out of their way to seek attention, they don’t mind a pat on the back for a job well done—a good evaluation from a professor or a friendly compliment from an editor will do.
Aquarius
You can count on Aquarius to write anywhere but at their desk. Odds are you’ll catch the water bearer at a coffee shop filling up on caffeine while furiously typing away about the injustices in society or the lack of recycling bins at the office. This social justice-minded sign can write prolifically—only if they are passionate about the subject.
Pisces
The resident poet of the zodiac, Pisces finds joy in penning handwritten love letters for their crush on perfumed personal stationery. Life is a visceral, tender, and imaginative experience for the fish, which is why they tend to use frilly language rife with strong similes and descriptive turns of phrase over concise communication.
Uncovering your birth chart
*The traits mentioned above pertain to people’s sun signs (the dominant part of your astrological sign), but sometimes those descriptions don’t capture the full picture of your true self—and can even verge on pigeonholing. That’s because everyone has a unique birth chart, or a combination of zodiac sign placements in every planet of the solar system (and beyond). That’s why you may not feel 100% like a Cancer or a Capricorn. Consider these sun sign traits a starting point for exploring your writing, communication, and creativity.
To learn about your astrological birth chart and more, follow astrologer and author Lisa Stardust. Her work has appeared in The Hoodwitch, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, The Today Show, and Oprah Daily. She’s also the bestselling author of Saturn Return Survival Guide and creator of The Astrology Deck.
